Find the Right ADHD Specialist for Your Child

Children with ADD/ADHD need a prompt diagnosis and effective treatment, but finding the right specialist — or specialists — for your child's particular needs can be tricky. These tips will make it easier.

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For most parents, a pediatrician or family
practitioner is the first call when a child falls ill. But when it comes to a
complicated issue like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD)/attention deficit disorder (ADD), sometimes that trusted physician may
not be the most appropriate person to diagnose or treat ADHD.

If you suspect your child might have ADD/ADHD, it is appropriate to
call your child's primary doctor. But you might want to consider asking for a
referral to another physician if your medical caregiver's analysis isn't as
thorough as it should be. For instance, if a practitioner uses little more than
a questionnaire to diagnose
ADHD, that's a red flag that you may need another physician , says
Erik Fisher, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in Atlanta. "A good evaluation
is worth its weight in gold," he says. Further, you may need to enlist
other professionals, such as a developmental pediatrician or occupational
therapist. Follow these guidelines to make sure you get the right specialists
onboard.

Get Personal for a Good Fit

Personalities that mesh — both with the parent and
the child — are always important in any productive doctor-patient relationship.
But when it comes to treating a child with
ADHD, Fisher says parents need to find someone who understands that
diagnoses and treatments are always changing, and what works for one child
won't necessarily mean success in another. Your doctor should also be familiar
with the American
Academy of Pediatrics’ 2011 ADHD guidelines, which lay out
recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in different age
groups, such as preschoolers, school-age children, and teenagers.

"Experience and flexibility in point of view
are factors to consider in a practitioner," he says. "All attention
deficits are not the same, and some things that look like ADD or ADHD may not
be." Make sure you feel confident in your diagnosing doctor's level of
familiarity with both ADHD and the common misdiagnoses and coexisting
conditions, such as depression, learning differences (like dyslexia),
substance
abuse (in teens), or even physical problems like allergies or
eyesight difficulties.

Find Your Child's ADD/ADHD "Dream Team"

If you're confident in the diagnosis, finding the right team to treat your
child is the next step in overcoming ADD/ADHD difficulties. Developmental
pediatrician Walt Karniski, M.D., founded Tampa Day School in Tampa, Fla. to
help ADHD kids work with the specialists they need on a regular basis. He says
putting together a group of doctors to help kids overcome their ADHD is key.

Pediatrician
(general): Your child's pediatrician will probably be your first
contact when the ADD/ADHD diagnosis comes up. And while the pediatrician
probably isn't the only person you want treating your child, he or she is still
a very important member of the team.

Psychiatrists and
psychologists: The difference between these two related
disciplines is medicinal: psychiatrists can dispense prescriptions, while
psychologists cannot, except in a few U.S. states.
But both can be important team members. Teens and school-age kids may benefit
from ADHD drugs, but the new ADHD guidelines specify that for preschoolers,
behavioral therapy should be the first line of treatment. Both psychiatrists
and psychologists can work with kids on things like neurofeedback, an emerging
treatment for ADHD, which helps kids learn to better focus through monitoring
their own body. They can also help with the emotional issues that often go
hand-in-hand with ADD/ADHD, such as poor self-esteem and depression.

Developmental
pediatrician: While a general pediatrician deals with all
aspects of the child, a developmental pediatrician will look at developmental
issues and find the underlying medical causes. This specialist can be a good
source for an initial diagnosis; some developmental pediatricians, as in
Karniski's former private practice, may also employ a team of specialists to
assist with other aspects of ADHD.

Pediatric
neuropsychologist: According to Fisher, another ADD/ADHD
practitioner parents might consider is a pediatric neuropsychologist. While
this specialty may have an overwhelming name, these doctors are some of the
most qualified to appropriately diagnose and treat ADHD because of their
understanding of not only brain mechanisms, but also behavioral and
developmental issues in kids.

Pediatric occupational
therapist: Many kids with ADHD also have problems with things
like fine motor skills, Karniski says. "ADHD often affects things like
handwriting and written output more than something like reading or math,"
he notes. Occupational therapists can assist with this type of remediation, as
well as other issues like auditory or visual distractibility.

ADD/ADHD coach: If
your child is having trouble getting a handle on dealing with everyday tasks,
an ADD/ADHD coach might be a worthwhile addition to your team. "ADHD
coaches help people better understand how their own ADHD is affecting
them," says Tara McGillicuddy, an ADD/ADHD coach and founder and director
of ADDClasses.com. Coaches can also help kids focus on their strengths, organize
their lives better, and improve social skills. If you're looking for a coach to
work with your child, try the web. McGillicuddy says many coaches work over the
telephone, so you can team up with someone from just about anywhere. The
website ADHDCoaches.org is a good starting point.

Therapist:
Unfortunately, ADD/ADHD can cause problems in a child's life that can affect
self-image. When kids get a diagnosis, it can be a relief, but they may still
have issues that can't be cured with medical or occupational intervention
alone. "Chances are that kids with ADHD may have other conditions like low
self-esteem, some anxiety, some depression," says Deborah A. Pearson, PhD,
professor of psychiatry at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.
"You are going to have to find appropriate treatment for that, like
psychotherapy and behavioral treatments."

Finally, remember that the key is having a multi-faceted treatment
program that you and your child's primary ADD/ADHD physician put together.
"You can't just give a magic pill and make all the problems go away,"
Pearson says. "There has to be an overall treatment program for
success."

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